Rogers Communications announced a 10-year agreement with Comcast to bring the latest Xfinity products and technology to Canadians across the country. Soon, millions of Rogers customers will be able to experience the future of entertainment with a new device powered by Entertainment OS, the next generation of connectivity via the best gateways and devices, as well as an expanded suite of home security products and features all developed by Comcast and Xfinity. As part of the agreement, the latest broadband, smart home and connectivity products available to Xfinity customers will be coming to Canada through Rogers starting later this year.

The average Canadian subscribedes to nearly twice as many streaming apps than five years ago and broadband data usage at Rogers has grown 200% in the same period. New research commissioned by Rogers shows the majority of Canadians (55%) say the number of streaming apps is overwhelming, half say searching for this content is time consuming, and 45% admit they sometimes can't find the show or sporting event they want to watch. The study also found accessing all streaming apps on one platform is the most appealing TV feature.

Rogers will be the first internet provider in Canada to offer a product designed to maintain connectivity when a storm hits, trees are down, or a customer experiences a local outage. Dubbed Storm-Ready WiFi to Xfinity customers in the U.S., the product was recently lauded as one of the most innovative of the year by Fast Company. The device is equipped with cellular backup and a rechargeable battery to keep customers up and running for hours.

When the power goes out the customer's network automatically transitions to cellular back-up so they can continue to use the internet. The device also doubles as a WiFi extender to deliver a strong signal to those hard-to-reach corners of the home. Building on the existing Self Protect service available to Rogers customers, Rogers will soon launch new home security hardware, including sensors, to complement the existing options of cameras and doorbells with the added benefit of on-demand emergency dispatch at the touch of button.

Commercial details will be announced as products and services are made available, starting later this year. Today's announcement builds on Rogers commitment to bring the best innovations from around the world to Canadians. Rogers is partnering with SpaceX and Lynk Global to bring satellite-to-mobile coverage nation-wide to ensure Canadians stay connected in areas beyond the limits of traditional wireless networks.

Rogers plans to launch satellite-to-mobile phone technology in 2024, starting with SMS texting, mass notifications and machine-to-machine AI applications, and then expand the service to include voice and data services.